Corn-sheller



(No Model.)

W. H. HALL.

CORN SHELLER.

UNIT WILLIAM H. HALL, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,134, dated May 27, 1884:. Application filed May 22,1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Tiffin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oorn-Shellers, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore in corn-shellers intended to be fed from a wood hopper, or by conveying-belts moving in the bottom of a trough or chute, the metal hopper or throat immediately over the toothed disk or shelling apparatus has been adapted only to receive from such wood hopper, chute, or conveyor, and cannot be readily fed by hand, either to meet some exigency, as the wrong presentation of an ear, or as a regular thing in the absence of or injury to the usual delivering apparatus; and in shellers intended to be fed by hand the metal hopper into which the ears are delivered one by one has been constructed with reference to such use only, therewith, although often desirable, is out of the question. i

My invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the metal hopper, whereby it may more readily be fed either from the wood hopper, chute, or conveyor, or by hand, or concurrentlyin both ways; in the combination, with the detachable hopper, of pivoted strap-hooks taking over the vertical end posts of the casing to secure said hopper in place; in an improved method of securing the rub-iron and its spring in a dislg-sheller, and in the various other combinations and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a corn-sheller. of the type known as disk-sheller, 7 embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of said sheller. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the metal hopper, rub-iron, and spring detached from the framework or casing; and Fig. 4. is a top plan view of a portion of the sheller, showing both the metal and the wood hopper and the strap-hooks by which the latter is attached to the end posts of the casing.

A is the casing proper, and B B the vertical end posts of its frame-work. The rear posts, 13, hereinafter called the long posts, project above the top board of the casing,

H. HALL, of

,which is cut away immediately in front of and the use of a wood hopper,

them to admit the metal hopper or throat O, bolted to said posts and to their tie-piece b, and conducting from the wood hopper D to the shelling-disk E within the casing. As commonly made in the past, the front portion of this metal hopper has been carried straight, or nearlystraight, up and back until it touched a vertical plane in the rear corresponding to the front of the long posts. When constructed in this way, corn can be fed into it only from the rear-that is, from a point corresponding to the throatway of the wood hopper and not from above. This makes it extremely awkward and inconvenient, and impracticable to a useful extent, to feed by hand, although many contingencies arise in which such capacity is desirable. To overcome this defect, I cut away or round out the metal'hopper, or form it with a bulge opening vertically, as at 0, immediately in front of the long posts, leaving besides the usual mouth, 0, between said posts, thus per mitting it to receive not only from said original opening toward the throatway of the wood hopper, but from above, so that it may be fed either from the wood hopper or other delivery mechanism or by hand, or in both manners at the same time, should this be thought expedient. v

IVith the metal hopper constructed as above-described, it will sometimes be desirable to dispense with the wood hopper and feed entirely by hand. In packing for shipment or in storing away for the winter, it will also be found a convenience to remove this hopper. I therefore propose to make it readily detachable, and to this end I form its bottom with a projecting tongue, d, which fits snugly into the space between the two long posts,sitting upon their tie-piece b, and comes flush against the lower lip of the metal hopper, while the side pieces of said wood hopper abut firmly against the rear faces of the post. To these side pieces,near their tops,are pivoted strap-hooks d, of such length and shape that their bent free ends will catch over the projecting front faces of said posts and clamp the hopper firmly in position. A further advantage of this construction is that it does away with the necessity for a brace beneath the hopper, such as is usually employed.

Instead of strap-hooks ordinary hooks and staples may be used, but these require a great through-bolt, f,

er number of pieces, and are more liable to loss or injury. The shank of the rub-iron F is curved to fit the contour of the bulge in the front of the metal hopper. Its spring F is also re-enteringly curved at the upper end, to sit over said shank in front of the bulge, and they are secured to the hopper by a single passing through the three at this point. The usual screw and thumb-nut,

1o f,is provided to adjust the stress of the spring.

, its shank to determine its position.

The shape of the hopper will, however, permit the rub-iron and spring to be attached in the ordinary and well-known manner, if so desired. The top board of the casing is slotted out, to afford a comparatively roomy passage for the rub-iron and spring, and over this I apply and secure a metallic plate or casting, G, having a slot, 9, of just sufficient width to receive the spring and the shank of the rubiron, and of such length as to accommodate the vibrations of the spring. The advantage of this is that after setting the metal hopper the rub-iron can be adjusted exactly right, then the plate applied, and screwed down to keep it permanently in proper position. It is evident that locating the securing-bolt for rub-iron and spring at their upper ends faciltates this method of fitting them in place, since they are moved upon it as a pivot. Still as the adjustment requisite to bring them into proper relation to the hopper and shelling disk will usually be but slight, this location may be more or less varied.

Instead of providing the metallic plate or casting to serve as a keeper for rub-iron and spring when once adjusted, lugs or projections may be formed upon the lower end of the hopper, one upon each side of the rub-iron or For various reasons, however, I deem the first-described arrangement preferable.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a corn-sheller, the combination of the shelling mechanism, the long rear posts, and the metal hopper opening horizontally between said posts to receive from a wood hopper, chute, or conveyer, and bulging, out in front of them to afford a vertical mouth for feeding by hand.

2. In a corn-sheller, thecombination, with a metal hopper having a mouth opening horizontally between the long rear posts, of a wood hopper having a bottom prolonged into a tongue to fit snugly between said rear posts and come flush with the under lip of said metal hopper, and sides abutting against the rear faces of said posts, and hooks whereby said wood hopper is secured to the sheller-frame, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the rear posts of the casing,the wood hopper having its bottom prolonged into a tongue, which fits snugly between said posts and sits upon their tie-piece, and its sides arranged to abut against the rear faces of said posts, and the strap-hooks pivoted near the top of the hopper sides, and taking by their bent ends over the projecting front faces of said posts.

4. The combination, with the metal hopper bulging in front to form a secondary or vertical mouth, of the rub-iron having its shank bent at its upper end to fit the curve of said bulge, the spring bent re-enteringly at its upper end to sit over the upper end of the rub.- iron shank,and the through-bolt securing them to the hopper.

5.. The combination, with the metal hopper,

shelling-disk, and rub-iron, of the slotted casting or keeper for said rub-iron secured to the top board of the casing.

6. The combination, with the metal hopper and shelling-disk, of the rub-iron and spring secured to the hopper by a bolt at their upper ends, and a slotted casting receiving them near their lower ends, and adapted to be secured to the top board of the casing after they have been set in proper relation to the shelling-disk to retain them permanently in such relation.

' WILLIAM H. HALL.

. YVitnesses:

ROBERT LYsLE, HENRY HYMAN. 

